BOYS BASKETBALL: Mountain View Rallies to Earn OT win against Los Gatos

The Score: Mountain View 50, Los Gatos 48 (OT)

 The Star: Spartans junior Dylan Collins scored 14 points and recorded three blocks in the game, but it was game tying layup from a designed inbounds play with 4.2 seconds left in the game that brought Mountain View (21-4, 10-1 SCVAL El Camino) and its home crowd to its feet. Los Gatos senior Nick Lamson led his team with 24 points, including seven deadly 3-point field goals from behind the arc,but it still wasn’t enough down the stretch as fouls and a questionable technical in the closing minute determined the rest of the game.

 Turning Point: Los Gatos (8-18, 1-11 De Anza) came full circle tonight with its second straight superb playoff showing. Los Gatos defeated Woodside High 49-41 on Tuesday night.

 Lamson and senior Dionte Cook accounted for 40 of the 48 points for the ‘Cats in the game. Los Gatos controlled the tempo throughout the first three quarters. The combination of deadly perimeter shooting from behind the arc from Lamson and solid attacks towards the rim by Cook, helped Los Gatos enter the fourth quarter with a comfortable lead at 38-29.

 However, Mountain View charged back and with Los Gatos only ahead 46-43 and less than 40 seconds left to play, Los Gatos senior Luke Hollander was called for a technical foul for an aggressive over the back call. After the foul, Spartans sophomore Brian Kaestner was thrown to the ground causing an automatic ejection and two free critical free throws.

 Mountain View ended up with the last possession on an inbounds play trailing 46-44 with 4.2 seconds left. With the crowd at its feet watching, Collins came off a high screen from the free throw line and dashed to the basket. He converted the game tying layup at the buzzer to send the home crowd into a frenzy. In overtime, both teams were neck-to-neck until the final moments. Collins forced a foul while driving to the basket late in the overtime session where he nailed both free throws, giving Mountain View its first lead of the game and the victory. 

 The Quotes: “It was a great pass and a great setup!” said Spartans Dylan Collins about the designed inbounds play that forced the game into overtime. “I’m happy! It’s home court—so happy everyone was here but now we have to focus for our next game against Leigh.”

 “They made plays when it mattered and we didn’t,” said Los Gatos head coach Sean Cummings. “There’s not many kids who fight through and handle adversity like they (Wildcats) did - - - to lose eight in a row and fight back especially tonight. That’s what they have to focus on, not a loss but adversity. And we handled it well.”

 “They were a little better on the defensive boards than we were in the first half and our pick and rolls were sharper,” said Spartans Head Coach Jim Forthoffer about the changes coming into the second half.

 The coach knows another tough challenge awaits them on Saturday.

 “We expect a very athletic team that really, really pressures and we have to handle the pressure better than we did tonight.”

 What’s Next: Mountain View faces the third seed Leigh Longhorns (23-4, 12-2 MHL) on Saturday (2/26) in the Quarterfinals of the CCS.

Bottom Line: Mountain View is going to have to find a better way to secure their zone defense come this Saturday against Leigh as it gave away  nine 3-point field goals tonight. The Spartans and Longhorns matchup is just one of four juicy quarterfinal games in the Division II draw that will take place at Foothill College this weekend. The Mt. View-Leigh game will tip at 1:30 pm.